Ancient People Didn't Have Toilet Paper—How Did They Clean Themselves? They Used a '1-Tool' Method, and the Rich Had Servants to Help

Today, many people would panic if they discovered no toilet paper after using the restroom. But going back over a thousand years, 'toilet paper' was never a universally available household item. So how did ancient people clean themselves after using the toilet? Current archaeological and textual evidence shows that in ancient China, at least wooden or bamboo 'toilet sticks' (chou) were used, and records of using paper for cleaning date back surprisingly early. However, historical records on what ordinary people routinely used are extremely limited. What is certain is that the sanitation experience of the wealthy was entirely different—Western Jin dynasty tycoon Shi Chong even had servants, perfumes, and clean clothes prepared for guests, clearly showing the vast lifestyle disparities in ancient times.

Wooden and Bamboo 'Toilet Sticks' Existed as Early as the Han Dynasty

When discussing how ancient people cleaned themselves, many assume commoners used leaves, straw, or even stones. However, this generalization isn't accurate. In China, one of the tools with direct archaeological evidence is the 'chou'—a stick made of wood or bamboo.

Archaeologists discovered a batch of wooden and bamboo sticks, dating back around 2,000 years, at the Xuanquanzhi Relay Station site along the Han Dynasty Silk Road near Dunhuang in Gansu Province, China. Some of these sticks had cloth wrapped around one end and were unearthed from an ancient toilet area.

A research team from the University of Cambridge, UK, further analyzed these artifacts and found human fecal residue and eggs of intestinal parasites such as roundworms, whipworms, and tapeworms on one of the hygiene sticks. The study concluded that these tools were indeed used for personal cleaning after defecation, not as ordinary wooden or bamboo rods.

This research was published by scholars including Hui-Yuan Yeh, titled 'Early evidence for travel with infectious diseases along the Silk Road: Intestinal parasites from 2000 year-old personal hygiene sticks in a latrine at Xuanquanzhi Relay Station in China.'

In other words, by at least the Han Dynasty, China already had a method of using wooden or bamboo tools with cloth for post-toilet cleaning.

How Lavish Was the Toilet of the Wealthy? Servants, Perfumes, and Clean Clothes Were All Prepared

The most visible class divide in ancient times may not have been just 'what they used to wipe,' but the entire toilet environment being completely different.

The academic work 'A Pure Mind in a Clean Body: Bodily Care in the Buddhist Monasteries of Ancient India and China,' which studies the history of bodily cleanliness in ancient China, references classical Chinese texts such as 'Shishuo Xinyu' and 'Yulin' to describe the luxurious toilet of Shi Chong, a famous Western Jin dynasty tycoon.

According to records, female servants were stationed in Shi Chong’s toilet, and guests could use perfumed powders and fragrances after using the facilities, and even change into clean clothes. Another story about Shi Chong mentions that servants would hand guests a small 'chou' for use.

To modern people, having servants standing beside you in the restroom might be awkward, but at the time, this was part of Shi Chong’s display of wealth. According to 'Yulin,' when Liu Shi visited Shi Chong’s home and entered the toilet, he saw luxurious bed curtains and cushions and mistakenly thought he had entered Shi Chong’s private chamber. Only when Shi Chong told him, 'That is the toilet,' did he realize he hadn’t gone to the wrong place.

Therefore, rather than saying 'the rich used high-end materials and the poor used cheap ones,' it is more accurate to understand that the wealthy had the means to enjoy comfortable toilet spaces, dedicated attendants, perfumes, clothing changes, and full hygiene supplies—luxuries clearly out of reach for ordinary people.

The Chinese Used Paper for Cleaning Much Earlier Than Expected—Clear Records from the Northern and Southern Dynasties

More surprisingly, the history of Chinese people using paper for post-toilet cleaning dates back much earlier than many imagine.

Scholars studying ancient Chinese hygiene history point out that by at least the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, textual records already linked paper use with toilet hygiene.

Yan Zhitui, a scholar who lived in the 6th century, explicitly stated in his famous family instruction text 'Yanshi Jiaxun' that any paper inscribed with the text of the 'Five Classics,' their commentaries, or the names of sages and virtuous figures should not be used for 'unclean purposes.'

The significance of this passage lies in the fact that Yan Zhitui wasn’t saying 'paper should not be used for cleaning'—he specifically prohibited only paper with sacred texts or names of sages from such use.

Researchers therefore argue that this indirectly proves that using paper for post-defecation cleaning was already a familiar daily practice at the time—otherwise, there would have been no need to establish such a taboo.

'A Pure Mind in a Clean Body' also compiles earlier Chinese texts, noting that by the 5th century, stories already described 'grass paper' being prepared in toilets.

Paper Use Spread After the Tang and Song Dynasties, and Foreign Travelers Left Records

As papermaking technology and paper usage became more widespread, replacing wooden or bamboo chou with paper became increasingly common.

'A Pure Mind in a Clean Body' notes that by the Tang and Song dynasties, using paper for post-defecation cleaning had become even more widespread, though earlier wooden and bamboo cleaning tools did not disappear immediately.

Even by the 9th century, Arab travelers visiting China specifically noted this habit.

Since some Islamic cultures traditionally use water for cleansing, these travelers particularly recorded that the Chinese did not wash with water after defecation but instead used paper.

The fact that foreign travelers specifically documented this suggests that using paper for post-toilet cleaning was no longer a rare phenomenon in China at the time.

The Ming Imperial Court Already Had Specially Made Toilet Paper

By the Ming Dynasty, the use of paper as a post-toilet cleaning item became even more institutionalized.

Tsien Tsuen-Hsuin, a historian of science, noted in Joseph Needham’s 'Science and Civilisation in China'—while compiling the history of Chinese papermaking—that the Ming court already had records of mass-producing toilet paper.

Historical documents show that by at least the late 14th century, the imperial court was already specially preparing such paper for the royal family.

This indicates that the use of paper for post-toilet cleaning in China was not only a personal practice but had become part of the imperial supply system by the Ming Dynasty.

Ancient People Did Not Ignore Hygiene Without Modern Toilet Paper

From archaeological and historical records, there is no single answer to 'how ancient people cleaned themselves after using the toilet' that applies to all eras, regions, and social classes.

In China, we can at least confirm the existence of wooden and bamboo personal hygiene sticks in the Han Dynasty; clear records of paper use for toilet cleaning in the Northern and Southern Dynasties; increasing commonality of paper use by the Tang and Song; and even specialized toilet paper supplied in the imperial court by the Ming Dynasty.

As for what common people routinely used, current historical records are insufficient to make simple classifications. Therefore, claims like 'the poor always wiped with leaves or straw' should not be treated as established historical facts.

What can clearly be seen from the records is the material disparity in ancient society. The toilet lives of ordinary people were rarely detailed in historical texts, while Western Jin tycoon Shi Chong already had servants waiting outside his toilet, ready with perfumes, cleaning supplies, and clean clothes.

Even something as mundane as 'using the toilet'—a daily act for modern people—reveals the lifestyles of ancient people and the vast gap between social classes.